Transcript Psychology A2 for AQA ACCMW - PsychologyA2atbusheyacademy

Chapter 4 - Aggression
• Topic 1 - Social psychological approaches to
explaining aggression
– Social psychological theories of aggression
– Explanations of institutional aggression
• Topic 2 - Biological explanations of aggression
– The role of neural and hormonal mechanisms
– The role of genetic factors
• Topic 3 - Aggression as an adaptive response
– Evolutionary explanations of human aggression
– Explanations of group display in humans
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Topic 1 - Social Psychological
Approaches to Explaining Aggression
• Social psychological theories of aggression
• Explanations of institutional aggression
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Social Psychological Explanations
of Aggression
Social Learning Theory
• Direct and vicarious experience
– Learning by direct experience
(operant conditioning)
– Learning by vicarious experience
(observational learning)
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Reinforcement
• The likelihood of a person behaving
aggressively depends on
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Previous experiences of aggressive behaviour
Reinforcement of past aggression
Likelihood that current aggression will be rewarded
Cognitive, social and environmental factors
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Research into Social Learning Theory
• ‘Bobo doll’ experiments
• Teaching effect (acquisition of behaviour)
• Motivational effect (reproduction/performance of
behaviour)
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Evaluation
Social Learning Theory
• Explains inconsistencies in aggressive
behaviour
• Explains cultural differences in aggressive
behaviour
• Social learning or biology as primary causal
agent?
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Deindividuation
• Individuated and deindividuated behaviour
• Public and private self-awareness
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Research Related To Deindividuation
• The Stanford Prison experiment
(Zimbardo et al. 1973)
• Deindividuation in mobs
– The baiting crowd
– The faceless crowd
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Evaluation
Deindividuation
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Deindividuation and pro-social behaviour
The role of anonymity
Social norms and behaviour
The Zimbardo et al. prison study
Deindividuation and football crowd violence
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Explanations of Institutional Aggression
• Institutional aggression in prisons
– The importation model
– The deprivation model
– The power of the situation and the effect of
dehumanising labels
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Evaluation
Explanations of Institutional Aggression
in Prisons
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Research support for the importation model
Limitations of the importation model
Research support for the deprivation model
Limitations of the deprivation model
Real life relevance
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Institutional Aggression in Initiation Rituals
• Initiation rituals
– Special rituals and requirements for new
members of a group
– Aim to create bond between members
– Hazing – painful initiation rituals
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Evaluation
Explanations of Initiation Rituals
• Research support
• Why is hasing effective?
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Check Your Understanding
Psychological Approaches to Explaining Aggression
1. What is the difference between direct and vicarious
reinforcement?
2. According to Social Learning Theory, the likelihood of a
person behaving aggressively is determined by what
four factors?
3. What conclusions can be drawn from the Bobo doll
study concerning the imitation of aggression?
4. Explain two evaluative points concerning the social
learning theory of aggression.
5. What is meant by ‘deindividuation’ in the context of
aggression? What is the difference between
‘individuated’ and ‘deindividuated’ behaviour?
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Check Your Understanding
Psychological Approaches to Explaining Aggression
6. What conclusions can be drawn from Zimbardo’s Stanford
Prison Experiment concerning the causes of aggressive
behaviour?
7. Explain two evaluative points concerning the deindividuation
explanation of aggression.
8. Explain the difference between the importation and
deprivation models of institutional aggression.
9. Explain two evaluative points concerning each of the
importation and deprivation models of institutional aggression.
10.Outline what is meant by initiation rituals (including ‘hazing’)
and provide one explanation for this phenomenon.
11.Explain two evaluative points concerning initiation rituals as a
form of institutional aggression.
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Topic 2 - Biological Explanations
of Aggression
• Role of neural and hormonal mechanisms
• Role of genetic factors
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Neural and Hormonal Mechanisms
in Aggression
• Neurotransmitters
• Hormones
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Neurotransmitters
• Chemical messengers that transmit nerve
impulses
– e.g. serotonin; dopamine
• Negative correlation between serotonin and
aggression
• Positive correlation between dopamine and
aggression
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Evaluation
Neural Mechanisms in Aggression
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Serotonin: alternative explanations
Alcohol, serotonin and aggressive behaviour
Research support
Why it is difficult to establish a link between
dopamine and aggression
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Hormones
• Chemicals that regulate and control bodily
functions
– e.g. testosterone; cortisol
• Positive correlation between testosterone
and aggression
• Negative correlation between cortisol and
aggression
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Evaluation
Hormonal Mechanisms in Aggression
• Inconsistent evidence on testosterone and
aggression
• The positive influence of testosterone
• Research support for cortisol link
• Lack of consistent research evidence
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Role of Genetic Factors
in Aggressive Behaviour
• Twin studies
• Adoption studies
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Twin Studies
• Support the role of genetic factors
in aggression
• Aggressive behaviour more highly
correlated in MZ than in DZ twins
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Adoption Studies
• Support the role of genetic factors in
aggression
– e.g. Danish study (Hutchings and Mednick, 1973)
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Evaluation
Twin and Adoption Studies
• The imperfect nature of twin studies
• Gender differences in heritability
• Problems with the interpretation of adoption
studies
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Genes for Aggression
• Candidate genes: DRD4 and DRD3
• Candidate gene for MAOA
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Evaluation
Genes for Aggression
• Genes for aggression do not predict
aggressive behaviour
• Positive implications of genetic research
• Gene-environment interaction
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Check Your Understanding
Biological Approaches to Explaining Aggression
1. Explain the main difference between the serotonin and
dopamine explanations of aggression.
1. Explain two critical points concerning the serotonin and
dopamine explanations of aggression.
1. Outline, in 50 words, the relationship between testosterone
and aggression.
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Check Your Understanding
Biological Approaches to Explaining Aggression
6. Explain three critical points concerning the relationship
between hormones and aggression.
6. Outline the main conclusions that can be drawn from
twin and adoption studies of aggression.
6. Explain three critical points concerning twin and
adoption studies of aggression.
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Topic 3 - Aggression as
an Adaptive Response
• Evolutionary explanations of human aggression
• Explanations of group display in humans
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Evolutionary Explanations
of Human Aggression
• Concept of natural selection
– Selection of ‘adaptive’ characteristics
• Infidelity and jealousy
– Cuckoldry and sexual jealousy
– Mate retention and violence
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Evaluation
Infidelity and Jealousy as Explanations
for Aggression
• Use of mate retention tactics
• Research on sexual coercion
• Practical applications of research
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The Evolution of Murder
• Murder as an adaptive response
– To prevent harm
– To bolster reputation
– To protect resources
• Predisposing factors for murder
– Sexual jealousy
– Lack of resources
– Threats to male status
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Evaluation
The Evolutionary Explanation of Murder
• Comparative evidence
• The evolved goal hypothesis – an
alternative explanation
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Evaluation
Evolutionary Explanations of Aggression
• Limitations of explanation
• Cultural differences
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Evolutionary Explanations of
Group Display in Humans
Examples of group display:
• Lynch mobs
• Self directed aggression during religious
and cultural displays
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Adaptive Explanations for Lynch Mobs
• The power threat hypothesis
• Dehumanisation
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Evaluation
Adaptive Explanations for Lynch Mobs
• The Power threat hypothesis
• Evidence for dehumanisation
• The role of deindividuation
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Adaptive Explanations for
Religious/Cultural Displays
• Religious display and cooperative gains
• Costly signalling to deter free riders
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Evaluation
Adaptive Explanations of
Religious/Cultural Displays
• Religious displays
• Cultural rituals
• The evolutionary approach
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Check Your Understanding
Aggression as an Adaptive Response
1. Give three examples of mate retention strategies
commonly used by human males.
2. Explain the relationship between cuckoldry, infidelity
and sexual jealousy.
3. Explain two critical points concerning the
infidelity/sexual jealousy explanation of aggression.
4. Give two reasons why murder might be an evolutionary
adaptation.
5. Outline two situations in which murder has been shown
to be an adaptive behaviour.
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Check Your Understanding
Aggression as an Adaptive Response
Explain two critical points concerning the ‘murder as
an adaptive behaviour’ explanation.
7. Outline two explanations of the behaviour of lynch
mobs being an adaptive response.
8. Explain two critical points concerning the behaviour of
lynch mobs.
9. What is meant by ‘costly signaling theory’ in the
context of religious displays?
10. Explain two evaluative points concerning the ‘costly
signaling theory’ of religious displays.
6.
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